Graduation caps and gowns made from recycled bottles

Seniors at Michigan Tech will be sporting the finest in recycled-bottle couture at their commencement next month. The school’s graduation caps and gowns just look like the standard Hogwarts-uniform deal, but they’re actually made of recycled water bottles.

The caps and gowns are made of a yarn called Repreve, which is recycled and recyclable. Each gown takes 27 bottles, so the Michigan Tech senior class is keeping 27,000 bottles out of landfills, plus avoiding the petroleum costs of making new polyester clothing. And they even cost a smidgen less — $32 including tax, versus $32 pre-tax for traditional regalia.

Hopefully Michigan Tech students are psyched to be wearing garbage to graduation. It has a little less pomp, maybe, but a lot more circumstance.